The Plan
by LilyFlowerEvans
Summary: Its sixth year and James has stopped asking Lily out. He is trying to find a new approach to woo Lily. Lily is busy solving the mystery of the change in James' behavior. Will they ever find what they are looking for?


Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. I only own scraps of the plot.  
  
The plan.  
  
Chapter one--Ideas.  
  
Lily Evans was sitting in a corner of the Gryffindor common room studying. She was bent over a large leather bound book, her emerald eyes alive with concentration. She tucked a few stray strands of hair back into her fire-like braid and scribbled a few notes on a roll of parchment before turning the page. It was easy to predict when she was about to turn the page becaus eshe would always replace her hair, write a little and then turn it.  
  
She had been sitting there for hours, in the same position, repeating the same page by page proccess. All the time she was so focused on her work she didn't notice me. I was studying her rather than a book or some other usless thing. I was disappointed and relieved at the same time. Being noticed by her without making a scene would have been a step up from our usual relationship, but having her find me staring at her would have been embarassing for some one like myself. I mean to say, I was James Potter. THE James Potter and James Potter wouldn't be caught dead staring wistfully at a girl such as her. It was true, everyone knew I used to fancy her and I still did, but the rest of the world did not know I still felt for her. They believed I had given up.  
  
She wasn't the most sought after girl in Hogwarts. Her pass time was studying and she was a goody-goody. Definatly the opposite of who I was. I was captian of the quidditch team, girls loved me, and I was not up to any good. I even solemnly swore the last one. I guess its situations like the one I was in the prooved the old saying, "opposites attract." Although in this case one opposite was attracted while the other opposite was most likely disgusted.  
  
But none-the-less there was something about Lily I just couldn't shake. Maybe it was the fact that she defied all the laws of society. Maybe it was just her hidden beauty. I don't know. All I know was that I couldn't keep her out of my head. Lily was the only girl I ever wanted and the only girl who ever rejected me. I remember the first time I knew that she was the one.  
  
Sirius and I had just cursed Severus Snape's hair off for the third time. It was fast becoming our favorite prank to pull. Bald Snape was almost too much for us. It is easy to say that he was a little hot under the collar about this and we needed a place to hide. I chose the library because it was pretty much the last place anyone would expect Sirius and myself to be. Another genius idea, in my opinion.  
  
I stepped into the door stiffling silent laughter. That prank never seemed to stop being funny. I looked around for somewhere to hide out and there she was. Studying, in the same manner as she was in the common room. So looked so peaceful. It was perfect. The golden light of the candles reflected behind her and gave her an angel like glow. Her hair was loose and fell onto the pages of the book. It contrasted perfectly with the creamy paper and dark lettering. Her eyes were so deep. I knew that anyone who looked it those eyes could never hurt her. I could tell in that instant that I never wanted anything or anyone to hurt her. I knew that I would do anything to keep her safe. All of this was before I had even heard her voice or known her name.  
  
Soon after my wonderful revelation my revere was broken by Sirius. He stumbled through the door howling with laughter. "Did you see the look on his face? Priceless," he said. You could hear the mischief in his voice. I stared at Sirius with an almost angery expression for a second and soon wiped it off of my face. After all, it was his fault I had just fallen in love with a girl I knew nothing about. I glanced back at Lily.  
  
She was giving us a look of deepest loathing. I felt my face fall at the glare. She shoved her books and parchment into her book in a way that indicated she was not the happiest person. She zipped it forcefully staring at the two of us for the entire time. I suppose she was imagining various fingers and toes in the zipper. She did look like she wanted to hurt us. She seemed so angery over just one thing. She stormed out of the library muttering something like, " Idiotic little toadstools."  
  
Not the best impression I could have made. That was in 4th year and now in 6th year she still carried the same attitude towards Sirius and I. I ignored the fact that she seemed to hate me with her ever fiber and started to ask her out constantly. All through the rest of fourth year and the entire fifth year every conversation went something like this:  
  
  
  
"Evans, go out with me."  
  
"Never."  
  
"You know you want to."  
  
"I'd rather kiss a hypogriff."  
  
"But I'm cuter than a hypogriff."  
  
"I doubt it."  
  
"Please?"  
  
"You are such scum, just leave me alone. I will NEVER go out with you, Potter."  
  
  
  
Over the summer following I realised my strategy was getting no where. Last time I took advice from Sirius when he looked like he was after to cry from holding back laughter. It was his idea of a joke, but I was so taken with Lily I didn't notice the flaw of my plan. So when the start of the sixth year came I was at a loss for what to do. I stopped asking her. In fact, I didn't have any contact with her at all. I'm sure she was relieved to be left alone.  
  
I ended up spending many nights in the common room like this. Just watching her. Wondering what I could do to tame her. How I could get into her good graces, which were rarely present at the same time I was. I didn't even know if it would be possible, but I had to try. Thinking of plans to sweep her off of her feet was one of my favorite pass times and as much as I thought about it, it was surprising I hadn't come up with a worthwhile plan.  
  
I watched as one of her friends passed by.  
  
"Hey Lily," she said merrily.  
  
"Hey." Her reply was short, she had barely glanced at the girl. I'm sure the girl was used to this because she went on talking.  
  
"Homework? I suppose I should start on mine. See ya later." The girl walked away after waving goodbye. Lily looked up and smiled at her. Her smile was beautiful and it was rare. Just the sight gave me flutters.  
  
I remember thinking to myself, "All that girl had to do to make Lily smile was have a little conversation. Its not fair. Why hasn't she ever flashed me that wonderful smile?" All at once I knew. A glimmer of an idea had come to me and my eyes had that glint in them. Everytime I ever got an idea I got that glint. I suppose that was the best idea I ever had. I knew how to charm the elusive Ms. Evans. It was so simple and yet so perfect.   
  
It was a night like any other. I, Lily Evans, was studying potions in a corner of the common room. I had the habit of studying there, for hours on end. I had even started to consider the corner my corner since I occupied it so frequently. I remember my hair was in a messy braid that night because it kept falling in my eyes and blocking my view. My concentration was never completely broken though. That was, until James came in.  
  
I glanced up at him as he took a seat near the fire. His jet black hair was sticking up as usual and he ran his fingered through it causing it to become even messier. It was a constant with James. If he went 5 minutes without touching his hair I would have been worried. It was one of the millions of traits he had that annoyed me to no end. A few strands fell into his hazel eyes. eyes that, on any other person, would entrance me. They were a haunting combination of brown and green with a few speckles of blue.  
  
By this time he had dropped many of his old habits. He had changed a lot through the summer. He had stopped asking me out all the time. You might not believe it, but this bothered me. Not that I minded the extra peace and quiet. It was just odd without him. He hardly talked to me anymore. I wanted to assume he had moved on, but the way he looked at me sometimes destroyed that notion. I was a very curious person and to me this was like a murder mystery. I just had to solve it.  
  
This was a particularly boring lesson so I had been waiting for a distractiong. I looked at him over the top of my book so that he would not notice I was watching him. I didn't want anyone to notice at all, for that matter. I was Lily Evans, top of the class, prefect, never-break-a-rule, Lily Evans. I wouldn't have been caught dead staring at a trouble-making git such as James Potter.   
  
He was so arrogant, so rude. Quite the opposite of myself. I was quiet, underconfident, and shy for that matter. He oulled pranks on people that I wouldn't dream of doing to my worst enemies. A lot of that was due to the fact that almost everything he ever did would bring detention and detention was something that scared me. I would never be in detention. If I was I would have died of embarassment. I would have died of embarassment if a teacher each took a harsh tone with me. Fortunately they had never done so.  
  
As I said earlier he had been getting better as of late. I remember a time when he would go to any lengthes to impress his fan club. It was riddiculous.  
  
  
  
"Oh Snivellis," I remember hearing his voice echo down the hallway, full of malice. "Come when you are called, Snivellis. Petrificus Totalus."  
  
I was walking down the hallway towards him and his group of onlookers. I saw Snape fall flat on his back, paralyzed and defenceless. "You should respect your elders, Snivvy." James' face was contorted into a sneer. He was looking down at the other boy with horrible cruelty. It was almost more than I could stand. I was afraid to say anything though, not knowing if I could end up the same way. I settled for glaring at him and wishing looks could kill.  
  
"You need to learn a little about hygiene. Look at you! Your a greasey little slimeball. I can hardly look at you its so digusting." After that James turned on his heal and went into a nearby classroom. All of his posse followed, howling with laughter. I remember wondering what Snape had ever done to James. I hoped it was something because the situation would be even worse if it was just idle bullying. Seeing Snape laying there with no one to help sealed the dislike I had been building against James and Sirius.  
  
It was James at his worst. I always wished I had said something. Maybe I could have made a difference for Snape. After all, James liked me. Once I did saying something. I was none-to-happy to hear Severus call me a mudblood and tell me off for trying to help. After that I knew why James loathed him so. I never bothered to say anything again, although I still felt it was wrong.  
  
Later, when James started to ask me out constantly I could not have been happier to refuse. It was a way for me to vent my anger against him. I could never like such an arrogant toerag and I mad sure I told him that every chance I got. I reserved the worst insults I knew for him. Now that I look back I sort of admire his determination. He didn't give up for a year and a half, even when every single one of our conversations started to sound the same.  
  
  
  
"Evans, we were meant to be."  
  
I would glare at him and say, "Even fate isn't that cruel."  
  
"But we're both so perfect."  
  
"You are no where near perfect. Get over yourself." I would have rolled my eyes about a hundred times by this point.  
  
"But"  
  
"Shut it." I would then either storm away and start to ignore him.  
  
It got more and more annoying as time went on. When summer came I was relieved to go back home rather than bothered. Even listening to my sister talk about Vernon, her boyfriend, and hearing her reffer to me as, "that thing" was not worse than him. HE made life infinately more complicated. I came up with a million plans to aviod him for the next year. I was sure that none of them could work. He had an unexplainable knack for knowing exactly where I was at all times.  
  
When the start of sixth year came around I never had to carry out any of my plans. He suddenly stopped asking me. I struggled with the mystery until that night in the common room. I watched him in secret, as though his face held the answer. A friend of mine, Ari, came over to me. I quickly pretended to be studying again.  
  
"Hey Lily," I hardly even glanced at her so that it would seem I was concentrating.  
  
"Hey," I said, trying to sound busy.  
  
"Homework? I should work on mine. See ya later." She walked away with a small wave and I smied out of relief. She was such an observant person, I was lucky to had any secrets from her at all. I felt a little guilty as well. She was my best friend. The first person to be nice to me at Hogwarts. It was hard not to tell her everything.  
  
Suddenly I had an idea. It was smiple. James would never know. "Besides, maybe we will become friends," I thought. I couldn't believe I hadn't seen it before. It was too easy. Now I just needed the perfect time to execute my plan. I would soon know the answer to the mystery. 


End file.
